Let Fate Decide
by Cherish The Hedgehog13
Summary: What if Shadow was the one who saved Maria, and what if she never met him until he did? Maria is on Earth alone, trying to cope with a puzzling past, and meets a familiar stranger on the streets. This stranger was immortal, just as she was. They learn about each other through mutual friends and spying, and in the end, one dies in a battle that never should have happened.
1. Chapter One

I am now under the curse of writer's block on my last story, so I'm just going to fool around with this one until something comes to me :)

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Chapter One

Maria's P.O.V.

The brightly lit corridor bathed my pale skin in its blinding light as I made my way down to the kitchen. Another boring day on the ARK. Not just any boring day, it was also my birthday. I turned fifteen today, and I was alone. Again. Grandfather was in one of the labs working on a project, and his first experiment, Jane, (a.k.a. my best friend) was fixing the ARK's terminal operating system. The staff was home for the holidays on the beautiful planet called earth. My footsteps echoed through the empty hallway, a constant reminder of being alone. Again.

The rooms that over decorated the corridors were all closed and locked. Their inhabitants sealed away from the world. My curiosity always peaked when i saw them, yearning to know what was hidden inside the doors; but I was also scared of what kind of dangers could be hidden in them. As i reached for the door, a siren screamed overhead and I panicked as I was suddenly surrounded in an eerie red light. Before I could do anything, a group of men burst through the door. I sailed back and hit the wall. Frozen by fear and pain, I couldn't move from my spot.

"grab her! she is a suspect!"

barked the obvious leader.

"suspect for what?! I haven't done anything wrong!"

I cried in confusion as they grabbed me.

i struggled to get free, but their grip was too strong! i heard screaming in the next corridor, and it was Jane! i slapped and kicked at the men, trying to get to my best friend, but the men only tightened their grip.

"you are under arrest for harboring a weapon of mass destruction!"

yelled the youngest looking man.

i looked into the leader's eyes that kept flashing red due to the alarm in confusion. His cold glassy eyes revealed nothing as they pushed me down the hallways.

"Wait! This is a mistake! There is no weapon here! You have the wrong people! What weapon!?"

I cried, still struggling.

I heard a soft rhythmic drumming; barely audible over the siren that filled the entire ARK. I looked around me, trying to find the source of it. Just like a strike of lightning, the men had flown back and i hit the cold metal floor. Pain spread through my knees, but i ignored it and ran away from the men in panic. I had to get away! I had to find Grandfather and he will protect me! A scream escaped my throat as i heard the loud blast of gunshots erupt behind me. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me; my body becoming numb with the adrenaline that raced through my icy veins.

My lungs gasped for breath as I raced to the escape pods at the end of the corridor. I just knew my grandfather was waiting for me. He was safe and waiting on me. I came up to the doors that lead into the escape pod rooms, but it was locked! I didn't know the code, but I started punching buttons randomly in a panic. I don't know what had sent those men flying like they did, and I certainly didn't want to find out. I screamed in frustration and started pounding on the digital keyboard with all my might.

I heard the same drumming, and now the sound was coming after ME. I looked all around me to find a room to hide in, but there was none. I saw something black racing its way to me, and it was glowing. I screamed as gunshots shot out from a gun it was holding and ducked. A bullet shot through the keyboard, and the doors opened. The thing stopped and looked me in the eyes menacingly, it wasn't a thing. It was a dangerous looking black and red hedgehog.

He frowned at me and grabbed my arm and squeezed it tightly, I gasped in pain as he threw me across the room as if I was a feather. I landed next to an escape pod, and he slammed the door shut behind him as he walked in. His glowing red eyes seemed to have a blazing fire in them, and he pried open an escape pod and threw me in there. I hit the glass with a loud thud, and he shut the door before I knew what was going on. I tried to get out, I had to save Grandfather and Jane! But the hedgehog held it together so I wouldn't get free.

"Maria! Don't fight me! They are dead! All of them! I couldn't save them! You have to stay safe!"

his raspy voice yelled to me with begging eyes.

I looked at the hedgehog in shock in confusion, how did he know my name? I've never seen him in my life. I heard footsteps coming towards the room, and I panicked. I didn't want to go to the huge earth by myself!

"Come with me! I don't want to go by myself!"

I cried desperately.

As I pounded on the glass, the same group of men burst through the doors and started to shoot. The hedgehog flinched as a bullet went through his chest, but it didn't seem to faze him. His eyes widen with shock when he saw me; and he screamed dangerously and charged at the men, his gun in the air and shooting. I covered my eyes, and I started to feel a burning sensation in my stomach. I clutched it as the pain got worse, and I felt a warm liquid run through my fingers and the fire erupted into an inferno. I gasped and looked at the source of all my pain, and saw blood steadily leaking out of a hole on my body. I gasped, I've been shot! The hedgehog came running to me, and I looked at him in desperation for the pain to go away. He looked at me with deep, sorrowful eyes, and pushed the button; and sent me plummeting to Earth. Alone yet again.


	2. Chapter Two

_Lord Kelvin - I am so sorry for all the grammar issues, my computer is stupid sometimes. But I fixed those and hopefully you"ll enjoy it better(:_

**Well, here's chapter two. Maria is out of character, and I hate it as much as any fan girl does, but please just bear with me with this story! :c Hope you enjoy(:**

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Chapter Two

Maria's P.O.V.

I awoke sometime later with blinding lights right in my face and a man in a doctors coat leaning over me. I jumped and hit my head on the cool metal table beneath me. I was firmly strapped down by tight leather shackles on my writs, ankles, and my neck.

"Calm down Maria, I'm not going to hurt you. The worst is already over sweetheart. Please, do not be afraid"

the man cooed in my ear.

I glared at the man and scooted away from him as far as the straps would let me. I didn't trust him, or anybody for that matter. Especially since I didn't know where I was or what had happened. The man's bright blue eyes looked at me sympathetically and gently touched my cheek. I felt a strong wave of peace wash over me, and I fully relaxed.

The man ran his fingers through his soft brown hair and sighed. He looked very worried and his body build indicated that he didn't go out in the sunlight often and he probably hasn't even heard of working out. He had dark circles under his eyes, and they looked like they were sunken into his skull. He has lost a lot of sleep, but overall he wasn't bad-looking.

"Are you a doctor?"

I asked softly.

He started to walk towards me, but I gave him a look of hatred and he stepped back.

"Yes I am a doctor. A special kind of doctor. An experimental doctor, and I found you bleeding to death outside of my door. I saved you, and you are better than you ever were"

He beamed proudly.

"What is your name?"

I asked.

"My name is Dr. Zane, Maria"

He smiled softly.

I looked around the room, ignoring the strap that was scratching at my neck, trying to understand what all the equipment was that overcrowded the room. I recognized the heart and pulse monitor, but none of the others. Dr. Zane must have seen my confused expression, because he got excited and moved to the machines and started explaining them to me. He talked really fast for someone as small as he was, and I didn't understand a thing he said. I did manage, however, to catch the words "Immortal" and "ageless".

I tuned him out as questions began to swim through my mind. Where was I and how did I get here? Was my name really Maria or did he give me that name? Was I really dying when he brought me in here or was he the one who tried to kill me? I was really lost, and I wanted answers. I looked straight into the lights above me and my vision blurred a bit, so I just closed my eyes and took a deep breath to soothe myself.

"Dr. Zane, I have a lot of questions"

I stated.

He stopped in mid-sentence and cracked a small smile. He touched my cheek again, and again I relaxed. It was like he had powers to put others to peace, and he was a master at it.

"Your name is Maria Robotnik. You're fifteen years old and you will not age any longer. You've been in a coma for many years, and you are now immortal. I have safely put a chip inside your brain that absorbs any damage that is ever inflicted on your body, and it keeps you fully nourished so you never grow weak and die. You cannot be killed unless the chip be destroyed, and I doubt it will unless an extreme superhuman hits the area of your head that the chip is in. You cannot destroy it because it blocks your body from doing so."

He explained gently.

I looked at him in disbelief and shock. I didn't know that was even possible! I wasn't sure how to take the news, because it filled me with mixed emotions. Dr. Zane carefully cut the leather shackles off of me, and quickly stepped back in fear. His actions confused me, because he had no reason to feel afraid.

"why are you scared Dr. Zane? I wont hurt you"

I said softly.

"You may not now, but I've studied your brain. You have some anger built up inside you and since you are super strong and quick, you will be dangerous when you snap. You are a very dangerous human Maria, and you must learn to control your emotions before you can go back into society.

"I don't have anger built up inside me. You're wrong."

I growled.

He screamed and started to run, and I blacked out.


	3. Chapter Three

**This chapter takes place seven years later the incident with Dr. Zane, Maria is in an orphanage because nobody claimed her at the hospital, just so there isn't any confusion(:**

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Chapter Three

Maria's P.O.V.

The cool Autumn breeze drifted through my ponytail as I ran the track that was laid out in front of Mr. Gregory's Orphanage. My legs pounded the hard asphalt and my aching body was drenched in sweat. My iPod jumped around in my pocket as if it was dancing around to the music that was blasting in my ears.

My breath came out in short ragged gasps as the sun peeked through the dark clouds that blanketed the sky and beat down on my back. Oh, how I loved to run! I loved the wind in my face, and how my body ached when I lay my head to rest every night. All I concentrated on was inhaling and exhaling.

_Inhale. Exhale._

_Exhale. Inhale._

I closed my eyes, and I felt as if I were spreading wings and taking flight. It was a magical feeling and I smiled for the first time in quite a while. I felt my head throbbing slightly, and I felt a flashback coming on, but I blocked it from my mind and kept going.

"Maria! Maria! Mister Greg wishes to have a word with you!"

called my British friend, Esther.

I stopped to catch my breath as she ran over to me. I really didn't want to be bothered at the moment, but I was kind of glad she came when she did. I needed a pain killer for my headache that seems to have grown worse. I could feel that flashback trying to come back, and it felt like a hammer beating on the inside of my skull; trying to get attention. I shook my head and gritted my teeth and fought it back again. I looked at Esther's frail form running at me with envy. She was human, and she could have control over her body and brain, and I couldn't. Not this this infernal chip lodged in my brain. I looked at Esther's silky blonde curls bouncing wildly in the wind and that bright smile that always seemed to welcome everyone. A smile that was care-free; not knowing of the horrible truth hidden within her best friend. Her dark hazel eyes filled with concern and anger as she came to a stop in front of me and saw me trying to catch my breath.

"Were you running again? Maria, you know you can't be doing that. It's not good for your health with that disease you have"

she said firmly, helping me stand up.

I just smiled at her sheepishly and we walked into the huge spacious building. Kids were laughing and playing their games, and the sight of their smiles brought a warmth in my heart. I loved the sight of a happy child. Esther smiled knowingly and dragged me into Mister Greg's personal office. It struck me as odd because nobody was allowed in his personal office unless they were being punished, and I was almost certain I didn't do anything wrong. I hesitantly reached for the crystal doorknob as I searched through the distorted glass to see what was going on in his office. All I saw was Mister Greg's plump shadow casting against the door, but nothing else. I looked at Esther,

"What did you say he wanted me for again?"

I whispered to her.

"He didn't say anything about why he wanted you, he just told me to fetch you and bring you here"

she whispered.

"Don't you think it's a little odd? He usually goes out in search for me on his own."

I stated in suspicion.

Esther just shrugged and walked away with a nervous "good luck". I sighed and slowly opened the door. I quickly scanned the room and saw a familiar group of men standing behind Mister Greg with their arms folded and a cold, unemotional look in their glassy eyes. My head started to throb as a flashback came knocking on my skull again. I just gritted my teeth and kept a poker face as I hesitantly closed the door behind me. I stared at Mister Greg, and he looked at me with guilty, sorrowful eyes. My guard was instantly up, because Mister Greg was usually a jolly and kind-hearted man. Seeing him now, I wouldn't have recognized him if I didn't know it was him. His usually sparkling eyes were clouded and dark, as if he had been crying. His usually relaxed appearance was tense and rigid. I eyed the men behind him, and noticed that they had G.U.N. on their uniforms, and my headache got worse. They just glared at me, and I returned the favor. Mister Greg looked at me and I saw tears glistening in his eyes,

"Maria, please have a seat. There are a few things I want you to know"

He said softly.

"I think I'm just fine standing up Mister Greg, no disrespect intended"

I said, not taking my eyes off the men.

"You heard him you bitch, have a seat"

growled the obvious leader of the group.

I just smirked and folded my arms and stood my ground. I saw a spark of anger in the man's eyes, and I just smiled. Mister Greg didn't argue with me, only frowned and sighed.

"Maria, these men came to me today, and they want to take you to their orphanage for a while.."

He said, his voice cracking.

Anger boiled in my chest. Mister Greg was a nice old man who loved all of his orphans like his own children, and these men decide to waltz in and take away one of his children? I didn't like that. Not one bit. The men saw my angry expression and cracked a smile, which only angered me more.

"No."

I spat at them.

Mister Greg looked at me sternly, and I immediately felt angry tears swelling in my eyes. I felt a fire started to spread through my body, and Mister Greg looked at me in shock and disbelief, and the men immediately grabbed me and slammed me on the floor.

"I'm not going anywhere!"

I screamed at them.

I lashed out at them, the fiery feeling growing worse and I could feel the chip start to work. The men soon had great difficulty keeping me down, and Mister Greg was screaming at them to be careful with me. I could feel my vision haze, and I saw them pull out a gun. I fought harder and screamed at them as the fire grew stronger.

"I'm not going anywhere!"

I screamed again.

The men fired, and the bullet pierced through my chest and heart,and I threw them off of me as if they weighed nothing. I looked at them in seething rage, and saw Mister Greg backing away in fear. As soon as I saw his eyes, the fire went out, and I took off. I ran away from the men, the orphanage, and my comfortable life in tears.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Maria's P.O.V.

I didn't know where I was going. That was all I knew to do. I had to get away from those men, even though I knew I could have easily killed them. I didn't because Mister Greg was watching, and I didn't want him afraid of me. But It already looks as if that plan had failed by the look he had given me. I felt the fire inside me slowly calm down to a sparking ember. Dr. Zane was right, I was a killing machine because of that stupid chip. Tear filled my eyes at the thought of killing others because of my uncontrollable anger. I was a loving and caring person, and Dr. Zane changed me into this monster. This wasn't me, and it never will be. I didn't recognize this walking form that carried me to wherever it pleased.

I looked up into the sky and saw birds chirping and the crisp clear blue sky was cloudless. The sunlight reflected into my eyes, but it didn't bother me like it would a normal human. The breeze teased my hair playfully as if it was an eager child. The day was too beautiful to even worry about my problems, but here I was in tears. I continued to walk down the street and found a small park that seemed deserted. I sat down on one of the benches and brought my knees to my chest and cried. I had no home, no family, and I was on the run from some men that want to kill me even though they can't. My whole world was crashing down on me. I wanted my old life back, where I had been surrounded by the people I loved and the people who loved me. Where I was safe.

"You think you've got problems? You ain't seen nothing yet little girl"

said someone behind me.

I jumped and braced myself for a fight. I turned around and saw a silver-grey hedgehog standing there with a smug look on his face. His soft honey-yellow eyes laughed at me. I gasped, he was an odd version of the one hedgehog that saved me so many years ago, but I quickly thought of something else before he could read my mind like he did moments before.

"As if you would know, stranger"

I replied sharply, wiping my tears away with the back of my hand

The hedgehog frowned and held his hand out to me. I stepped back and withdrew a knife from my pocket that I had forgotten I had. I silently thanked Esther for her over-protective nature.

"Come with me, I can help you. I can protect you"

He said softly.

His voice seemed to freeze me in place. A blue aura enveloped my body and locked me in place. I heard the soft click of my body being pressed against space and time. I couldn't move, and I saw the silver-grey hedgehog smile. He moved his hand, and the aura carried me to wherever his hand went. I tried to break free, but it was like I was powerless in this thing. The hedgehog smiled even more, and before he could do anything else, a cobalt blue hedgehog came out of nowhere and tackled him and knocked him off his feet. The blue aura disappeared and I hit the ground. Both hedgehogs started to wrestle viciously in the grass, and I took the opportunity to run. I didn't get far, however, because that same blue aura got me again. I glared at the sliver hedgehog as he brought me back over to him. The blue hedgehog looked at me with his emerald-green eyes sparkling with excitement and interest. The silver hedgehog studied me closely, and nudged the blue one.

"Look at her wrists, she has the same power channel bracelets as Shadow. Her eyes have a red ring around them. Do you think she's related to him?"

he asked.

The blue shook his head laughing,

"Shadow was made, not born. But let's bring her to Tails so he can do some testing. What's your name?"

he asked me.

"None of your business."

I growled.

"Well, hello. My name is Sonic, and the silver one is Silver"

the blue one smiled.

"Silver, put me down. I can easily kill you both, and I will not think twice about it. Don't make me do it"

I glared.

"Are you sure she isn't related to shadow? She acts just like him"

Silver observed, letting me go.

I hit the ground again, and Sonic helped me up. His touch was gentle and warm, and he smiled at me. Silver smiled at me, and I instantly knew they were harmless. But I still didn't trust them. They let me sit down on the bench and they sat on either side of me and started questioning me eagerly. I didn't want to show too much, because they might be one of those men undercover. My mind was going on overdrive with questions for them too, but I decided to wait until I got to know them better.


End file.
